vigils or eves appointed to be fafted before the Saints'-days; and this frugality and abftinence turned to the relief of the poor: but this was but a part of his charity, none but God and he knew the rest. This family, which I have faid to be in number about thirty, were a part of them his kindred, and the reft chofen to be of a temper fit to be moulded into a devout life; and all of them were for their difpofitions ferviceable and quiet, and humble and free from scandal. Having thus fitted himself for his family, he did, about the year 1630, betake himself to a conftant and methodical service of God, and it was in this manner :-He, being accompanied with most of his family, did himself use to read the common prayers (for he was a Deacon) every day at the appointed hours of ten and four, in the parish-church, which was very near his house, and which he had both repaired and adorned; for it was fallen into a great ruin, by reason of a depopulation of the village, before Mr. Ferrar bought the manor: And he did alfo conftantly read the matins every morning at the hour of fix, either in the Church, or in an Oratory, which was within his own house; and many of the family did there con. tinue with him after the prayers were ended, and there they fpent fome hours in finging hymns or anthems, fometimes in the Church, and often to an organ in the Oratory. And there they fometimes betook themfelves to meditate, or to pray pri vately, or to read a part of the New Teftament to themfelves, or to continue their praying or reading the Pfalms; and in cafe the Pfalms were not always read in the day, then Mr. Ferrar, and others of the congregation, did at night, at the ring of a watch-bell, repair to the Church or Oratory, and there betake themselves to prayers and lauding God, and reading the Pfalms that had not been read in the day; and when thefe or any part of the congregation, grew weary or faint, the watch-bell was rung, fometimes before and fometimes after midnight, and then another part of the family rofe, and maintained the watch, fometimes by praying or finging lauds to God or reading the Pfalms: and when after fome hours they alfo grew weary and faint, then they rung the watch-bell, and were alfo relieved by fome of the former, or by a new part of the fociety, which continued their devotions (as hath been mentioned) until morning. And it is to be noted, that in this continued ferving of God, the Pfalter or whole Book of Pfalms, was in every four and twenty hours fung or read over, from the first to the laft verfe; and this was done as conftantly as the fun runs his circle every day about the world, and then begins again the fame instant that it ended. Thus did Mr. Ferrar and his happy family ferve God day and night-Thus did they always behave themselves, as in his prefence. And they did always eat and drink by the ftricteft rules of temperance; eat and drink fo as to be ready to rife at midnight, or at the call of a watch-bell, and perform their de votions to God.-And it is fit to tell the reader, that many of the Clergy that were more inclined to practical piety and devotion, than to doubtful and needlefs difputations, did often come to Gidden Hall, and make themselves a part of that happy fociety, and stay a week or more, and then join with Mr. Ferrar, and the family in thefe devotions, and afsift and ease him or them in the watch by night. And these various devotions had never lefs than two of the domeftic family in the night; and the watch was always kept in the Church or Oratory, unless in extreme cold winter nights, and then it was maintained in a parlour which had a fire in it, and the parlour was fitted for that purpose. And this courfe of piety, and great liberality to his poor neighbours, Mr. Ferrar maintained till his death, which was in the year 16391. k In this parlour was a tablet of brafs, placed by the advice of Mr. Herbert, with this infcription approved by him : (WHO BIDS ADIEU TO ALL FEARS AND HOPES Of this world, AND ONLY DESIres to serve goD) SET UP THIS TABLE. 1 Mr. Ferrar died Dec. 2. 1637. He was buried in the Chapel-Yard. The tombstone, which is placed over his remains, is without any infcription. That happy fociety, of which he was the founder, is thus no ticed in a well-known ludicrous poem : « Τα Mr. Ferrar's and Mr. Herbert's devout lives were both fo noted, that the general report of their fanctity gave them oCcafion to renew that flight acquaintance which was begun at their being contemporaries in Cambridge; and this new holy friendship was long maintained without any interview, but only by loving and endearing letters. And one teftimony of their friendship and pious defigns may appear by Mr. Ferrar's commending "The Confiderations of John Valdefso" (a book which "To th' new-founded College came I "See but their cell, fchool, and their temple, “ You'll say, the stars were there example." Of this congregation of faints, fee "Hacket's Life of Archbishop Wil liams," p. 50-53. During the civil commotions, their religion and loyalty expofed them to danger. The whole family "fled away and difperfed, and took joyfully the spoiling of their goods." Heb. x. 34. All that they had restored to the Church, all that they had beftowed upon facred comeliness, all that they had gathered for their own livelihood and for alms, were feized upon as lawful prey, taken from superstitious perfons. The verfion of this celebrated work of John Valdefso is printed in octavo, and contains 311 pages. It is entitled, "The Hundred and Ten Confiderations of Signior JOHN VALDESSO, treating of thofe things which are most profitable, moft necefsary, and most perfect in our Chriftian Profession. Written in Spanish, brought out of Italy by Vergerius, and firft fet forth in Italian at Bafil, by Cælius Secundus Curio, Anno 1550: afterward tranflated into French, and printed at Lyons, 1563, and again at Paris, 1565, and now tranflated out of the Italian Copy into English, with Notes: Whereunto is added an Epistle of the Author's, or a Preface to his divine Commentary upon the Romans. 1 Cor. ii. Howbeit we speak • Wisdom amongst them that are perfect, yet not the Wisdom of this World. Oxford: Printed by Leonard Lichfield, Printer to the Univerfity. Ann. Dom. 1638." Of the nature of this work we may form an id、a from the Address of the Editor, the learned Dr. Jackfon, to the Reader : "Thele truly divine meditations or confiderations of Signior John Val"desso, a nobleman of Spain (who died almost an hundred years agoe), "having been fo acceptable to pious Vigerius, to learned Cælius Secun"dus Curio, and to many others both French and Italian proteftants, that "they have been tranflated out of the original Spanith copy, and printed "three or four times in thofe languages; it feemeth to me a reafonable "and charitable defign to print them now in English, without any altera“tion at all from the Italian copy, the Spanish being either not at all ex"tant, or not easy to be found. It is certain that the book containeth many worthy difcourfes of experimental and practical divinity, well exprefsed, and elegantly illuftrated, especially concerning the doctrines of « justification and mortification; and yet, notwithstanding, there be fome ་་ "few he had met with in his travels, and tranflated out of Spanifls into English) to be examined and cenfured by Mr. Herbert be "few exprefsions and fimilitudes in it, at which not only the weak reader "may stumble, and the envious quarrel; but also the wife and charitable "reader may juftly blame. To have removed these few ftumbling-blocks, "or offenfive pafsages by leaving them out, or by altering them, had not "been the work of a tranflator, but of an author; befides the ill example of altering ancient authors, which is one of the greatest causes of the "corruption of truth and learning. Therefore, it hath been thought "fit to print the book according to the author's own copy, but withall "to give particular notice of fome fufpicious places, and of fome mani"feft errors which follow, particularly expressed in the enfuing pages; "referring the rest, if any there be, to the judgment of the reader. He "lived where the fcriptures were in no reputation; and, therefore, no "marvel that he should speak fo flightly of them; but rather, on the contrary, it may feem a marvellous thing in our ages to have a statesman in "thofe parts at that time fo far illuminated and taught of God as he was. "May it please the divine Goodness, that every reader may reap the like "comfort and profit to his foul, as the tranflator and publisher humbly ❝and thankfully acknowledge that they have done, and they have their "main scope and aim in publishing it!" Prefixed to "The Confiderations" is also an Address from Cælius Secundus Curio to the Reader, in which we have the following account of Valdefso: "Thefe Confiderations, as many well know, were first written "by the author in the Spanish language; but afterward, by a certain pious "and worthy perfon, tranflated into Italian. Yet have they not been "able altogether to quit thofe forms of speech which are proper to Spain. "John Valdefso was by nation a Spaniard, of noble kindred, of an ho "nourable degree, and a refplendent Chevalier of the Emperor, but a "much more honourable and refplendent Chevalier of Chrift. True it "is, he did not much follow the court after that Chrift had revealed him"felf to him; but abode in Italy, fpending the greatest part of his life at "Naples, where with the fweetnefse of his doctrine, and the fanctity of his life, he gained many disciples unto Chrift; and especially among "gentlemen and cavaliers, and fome ladies, he was very eminent and "praife-worthy in all kinds of praise. It seemed that he was appointed by "God for a teacher and paftor of noble and illuftrious perfonages: al"though he was of fuch benignity and charity, that he accounted himself "debtor of his talents to every rude and mean perfon, and became all "things to all men, that he might gaine all to Chrift: and not this alone, "but he gave light to fome of the most famous preachers in Italy, which "I very well know, having converfed with them themselves. the "He never had wife, but lived most continently; nor did he attend to "ought elfe, as much as he could, than unto mortification, in which death "overtaking him, he became perfectly mortified, fo as to be perfectly "quickened in the refurrection of the juft, and to enjoy our Lord Chrift, "He died in Naples about the year 1540. He hath left behind also certaine "other good and pious compofitions, which, as I hope, fhall by Vergerius “his meanes be communicated unto you." Subjoined to "The Confiderations" is an Epiftle written by Valdesso "to Lady Dona Julia de Gonzaga," to whom he dedicates " A Commen. tary upon the Epistle to the Romans." It appears that along with this Commentary be fent to her all St. Paul's Epiftles, tranflated from the Greek into the ordinary Castilian language. He fays, that he had before tranflated the Pfalms of David from the original Hebrew, for her use; and he promifes fore it was made public; which excellent book Mr. Herbert did read, and returned back with many marginal notes, as they be now printed with it: and with them, Mr. Herbert's affectionate letter to Mr. Ferrar. This John Valdesso was a Spaniard, and was for his learning and virtue much valued and loved by the great Emperor Charles V. whom Valdefso had followed as a cavalier all the time of his long and dangerous wars; and when Valdefso grew old, and grew weary both of war and the world, he took his fair opportunity to declare to the Emperor, that his refolution was to decline his Majefty's fervice, and betake him felf to a quiet and contemplative life, because there ought to be a vacancy of time. betwixt fighting and dying. The Emperor had himself for the fame, or other like reafons, put on the fame refolution: But God and himself did, till then, only know them; and he did therefore defire Valdefso to confider well of what he had faid, and to keep his purpose within his own breaft, till they two might have a fecond opportunity of a friendly difcourfe; which Valdefso promised to do. In the mean time, the Emperor appoints privately a day for him and Valdefso to meet again, and after a pious and free difcourfe, they both agreed on a certain day to receive the blessed facrament publicly, and appointed an eloquent and devout Friar to preach a fermon of contempt of the world, and of the happinefs and benefit of a quiet and contemplative life, which the Friar did moft affectionately. After which fermon, the Emperor took occafion to declare openly, "That the preacher had begot in him a refolution to lay down his dignities, and to "forfake the world, and betake himself to a monaftical life "." And he pretended he had perfuaded John Valdesso to do the like; but this is most certain, that after the Emperor had called his fon Philip out of England, and refigned to him all his kingdoms, that then the Emperor and John Valdefso did perform their refolutions. promifes to furnish her with "The History of Christ," in the fame language, "at fuch time and manner as it fhail pleafe the Divine Majelty.” Mr. Ifaac Walton in his "Complete Angier," p. 26, introduces a remark of Valdeiso, whom he calls an ingenious Spaniard, "that rivers, and "the inhabitants of the watery element, were made for wife men to con“template, and fools to pafs by without confideration.” a Charles V. was defirous of expiating the many disorders of a life spent in continued wars, by devoting his laft years to the fervice of God. He retired to the monastery of Saint Juft, fituated near Placentia, on the frontiers of Caftile and Portugal. Is it not to be regretted that after his retirement he often expretsed his forrow for having obferved the safe conduct, that he had formerly given to Luther, lamenting that he did not seize that reformer, to whom he had folemnly promifed fecurity? That bigotry must have been great indeed, which impelled a Chriftian Prince to lament in his last moments, that he had not violated the most facred engagement. Y. |